Global HCP & Patient Engagement Undergraduate Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement at Pfizer. I developed both knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry as a whole, as well as gained skills I can use throughout future education and beyond. I worked closely with digital and understand its importance in engaging with healthcare professionals and patients to ultimately improve quality of life all over the world.

I felt extremely valued by my colleagues at Pfizer. As an undergraduate I was given a great number of responsibilities and projects. I was welcomed to share ideas and thoughts with large x-functional audiences in virtual and face to face settings. My colleagues and managers appreciated my work and did not hesitate to provide both positive and constructive feedback.

For the majority of my year, my role was predominantly virtual; therefore, I had no immediate team member support in the office. While this was difficult at the start, I soon became familiar with the teams working around me and settled in to this environment. It is important to note; my managers were very attentive and made sure to have regular calls to catch up and align on work in scope.

For the majority of the year I was fairly busy. However, my work was predominantly project based so as projects wrapped up it became quieter. Additionally, the company went through an organisational change which led to a slight pause with work. In the quiet periods I was able to complete university assignments.

I was given a great amount of responsibility while on placement. My managers trusted me to make proposals and recommendations without all the information being to hand. I had to liaise with both global and regional colleagues as well as work closely with individual markets. I had management ownership on an internal website and was a communication lead for a number of projects.

I highly believe the skills and training I received will greatly assist me in my degree studies and beyond. To touch on a few, I have gained skills in communication, prioritisation, networking, presenting, project management, change management and more. Experiencing work in a cutting-edge, dynamic industry has opened a new door of skills and understanding.

The atmosphere of the office was very comfortable. Everyone was very friendly and chatty. You have the option to work at your desk on the open floor plan - where many people chat and work together - or, you can book out a private room to work in a quieter setting. The atmosphere was dynamic and easily fits your needs.

The first two weeks of placement we received a lot of guidance from HR and the recruitment colleagues. We received training workshops and information presentations to introduce us to the company and get us set up. However, following the first two weeks, we receive no further support and many undergraduates agreed there was no one point of contact for support outside of our individual teams. There was no keeping track of whether undergraduates were being provided enough/too much work or having an enjoyable time etc.

I received many invites, from my department team, to attend training courses while on placement. A few include: Presentation Workshop (Decker Training), Influencing Others Workshop, Dare to Try Training, Problem Solving Course, Visual Sense Making Course, Duarte Training, Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Training, STEM Ambassador Training and Diversity and Inclusion Workshop. These training courses have given me skills I can practice in future education and careers.

Undergraduates at Pfizer are given the option to apply for the Graduate Future Leader's Program at the end of their placement. I am definitely very interested in applying for the role due to the positive experience I have had on placement. My year in industry has made me realise I am keen to work in an industry dedicated to human health and improving lives.

Yes, there was a great social scene. This is especially due to there being over 50 undergraduates on placement at Pfizer for the year. Due to my team being predominantly virtual, I rarely socialised with them outside of work. Occasionally we had team meetings in one location; there was always effort made for everyone to socialise outside of work on these occasions.

The cost of living and socialising is quite expensive in the area. It is roughly a 30 minute train into London; so while this has its perks, it means the prices at local pubs and restaurants are relatively high. Also, although I lived at home, I know other undergraduates found rent to be expensive in the area.

The range of nightlife was not great in the immediate area. There were many lovely country pubs but not many clubs or bars. However, a train into London was only 30 minutes which was great. The only issue was getting home after the night as most regular trains home from London stopped before midnight.

Yes, there are many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work. For example, I became a STEM Ambassador which involved volunteering at schools to encourage the study of science, technology, engineering and / or mathematics. There were also opportunities to attend business events, join sport clubs, attend volunteering days and more.